Whatever You Do
by watercrab
Summary: Oracle's Fortune #3: “I know its tempting but whatever you do, do not punch Sokka in the face.” Now Zuko and Sokka are seperated from the group just weeks before the comet. What else could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yep another fortune! Don't worry, I'm still working on A New Light. This story was pounding in my head and had to get the first chapter out! **

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own.**

* * *

It was supposed to be a walk, just him and Katara. His thoughts and fears have been growing in him every time they moved to a new campsite. Now just weeks before the comet, Zuko needed to be alone with Katara and tell her how he feels. Aang suggested that they should take a walk to the cliff and watch the sunrise. Toph stuck her finger in her mouth and made a gagging sound. Zuko chuckled when Aang's face went bright red. He felt a hint of jealously by looking at Aang and Toph. They are young and they are letting their love grow slowly. He and Katara do not have that type of luxury. In the short time that they have been together, they have made sure that their love grew in a steady pace even though it was quick. They do not want their love become lust. Once Toph finished making her gagging sounds, Aang continued on with the plan.

The plan did work. Just two hours before the sun rose, Zuko snuck over to Katara's bedroll and gently woke her up. She rubbed her eyes as she glared at him. He saw her blush when he suggested that they should take a walk. As they walked to the cliff, he began spilling everything that was on his mind. Thankfully, Katara was thinking the same thing. They continued talking as they sat at the cliff and when the sun rose into the sky, they kept on talking. They continued talking as they walked back to the campsite. They finally stopped talking when they ran into a very angry Water Tribe warrior. Zuko gave a sigh; it was supposed to be a walk.

* * *

"What the hell where you doing with my sister!" Sokka shouted. He drew out his sword and placed it on Zuko's neck.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted as she moved her brother's sword. "Nothing happened!"

"Nothing happened!" Sokka continued shouting. "You where gone for over two hours! We were worried sick!" Sokka pointed at the group sitting on the log. Zuko glanced at the trio on the log. Toph was picking her toes, Suki looked bored, and Aang tried to mouth the words that he did not tell Sokka. Zuko could not help smirking. "You're smirking! You did something!" Sokka poked Zuko's chest.

"I'm smirking at them!" Zuko shouted back while he rubbed his chest. The warrior's finger hurt like hell. "Besides, Katara can take care of herself!" Katara crossed her arms and gave a nod.

The fight continued on for another hour. Katara realized that the fight did not include her and sat down on the log with the rest of the group and watched the guys fight. They pushed, they poked, and they called each other names.

"I thought you hid Sokka's weapons," Katara mumbled as she watched Zuko grabbed Sokka's sword.

"We did," Toph said as she continued picking her toes. "Snoozles found the sword," she wiggled her toes before she started to picking them again. "Five on Sparky."

"That's not fair," Suki said as she gave a yawn. "I was going to bet on Zuko!"

"So was I," Aang said sheepishly.

"Me too," Katara said as she placed her head in her hand. The trio stared at her with their mouths opened. "Sokka ruined our moment."

"Okay spill, what did you guys do?" Suki said with interest. Aang looked rather disgusted. Toph began to giggle.

"We talked," Katara said with a sigh when she watched Sokka took a swing at Zuko with the sword. Zuko ducked and the sword imbedded itself into a tree. Sokka growled and lunged at the banished prince.

"Sugar Queen is telling the truth," Toph said as she gave her toes another wiggled. "Besides Warrior Princess, Twinkle Toes and I already knew about it. It was Twinkle Toes' idea."

"You two knew!" Suki said as she glared at the young couple. "Wait, you thought of it?" Suki then said sounding rather surprised.

"Why are you so shock?" Aang said angrily. The young monk placed his hands on his hips. "My plans work out! Sokka wouldn't know about it if Zuko brought Katara back after the sun rose!"

"Guys!" Toph said as she shot her head up. "Sparky and Snoozles are getting near the weak spot!"

Toph discovered a weak spot in the ground when they where setting up camp. She could not get a feel on how deep the cavern underneath the weak spot because there was so much empty space. Everyone agreed to avoid the weak spot at all cost. Sadly, Sokka and Zuko forgot about the weak spot. The boys kept shoving themselves closer and closer to the weak ground.

"We better warn them," Aang said as he began moving to his friends.

"We better stop them!" Toph said as she stood up. "Snoozles's anger is getting worse," she moved her feet across the ground and then stopped. "Crap! The ground is too thin to do earthbending!"

The gang quickly ran to the guys as they wrestled with each other. Everyone was amazed that Sokka and Zuko were equally matched. The boys where at a stalemate, Sokka's back was facing the weak spot and Zuko was holding Sokka's shirt. Both of them had their fists up and panting hard. The stares that they were giving each other where deadly.

"What is your problem?" Zuko spat. "Why are you so against me wanting to be with Katara?"

"Because all of you are the same," Sokka snarled. "I'm just protecting her."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko growled as he pulled Sokka close to his face. "Katara is a waterbending_ master_! She can protect herself!"

"Katara is also oblivious to guys," Sokka sneered as he narrowed his blue eyes. "She walks into a room and every slimeball is staring at her, including you."

"You're calling me a slimeball _peasant_!" Zuko snarled as he felt the rage growing in him. He could sense Katara slowly walking up to them.

"Only to the ones that want to fu-," everything in the forest became quiet, too quiet. Sokka racked his brain, he thought he had said _dawdle with his sister _but judging from everyone's reaction he said something more inappropriate. Katara's eyes welled up with tears, Suki gave a disgusted look and pulled Katara in her arms, Toph's face went red, and Aang's face twisted in anger. Sokka gave a huge gulp as he looked at Zuko. Zuko's eyes where glowing red and Sokka could see the rage exploding.

He forgot about everything. He forgot that everyone was standing behind him. He forgot about the fortune that Ling gave him. He was focused on what Sokka said. In his mind, what Sokka had said was demeaning. Not to him but to Katara. Zuko's fist connected with Sokka's face. Then everything went downhill in a literal sense. Sokka took a step back and the weak spot collapse under him. Trying to regain his balance, Sokka reached out and grabbed Zuko's arm. Zuko tried to pull Sokka to safer ground but the momentum pulled him towards Sokka. Zuko heard a scream as he and Sokka fell into the darkness.

* * *

Zuko felt like he was one of Azula's dolls. She used to throw them around and bang them into the walls. He gave another moan as his body smacked into a wall and then bounced down the shaft. He heard a loud pop and followed by Sokka's gasp. The boys kept tumbling down the shaft with no end in sight. Zuko hit the ground first. Whatever bones that where cracked during the fall they where definitely broken when Sokka landed on top of him. Pushing Sokka off of him, Zuko cursed the universe as he tried to catch his breath. The universe did not want him to rest as he heard rumbling coming towards them. Finding any strength that he had left, Zuko dragged Sokka out of the way. The rocks came crashing down and blocking any remaining light that they have left. Zuko cursed to the universe again.

Zuko grunted in pain when he took a breath. He knew he had broken ribs. Creating a small flame in his hand, he glanced at Sokka. The warrior was breathing but was out cold. Zuko knew his foot was dragging when he was pulled Sokka to safety. He looked down to check on it and he felt the vomit rushing up in his throat. His ankle was broken and his foot was bent in a weird angle. Nausea was brewing as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly slid down the wall and watched the flame slowly go out in his palm.

"I thought you where supposed to watch over me," Zuko grumbled at the spirits as he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own.**

* * *

Zuko's eyes snapped opened and found himself surrounded by darkness. He could feel the panic rising in him as he tried to control his breathing. He took a deep breath and winced in pain. He forgot that he has broken ribs. Creating a small flame in the palm of his hand, Zuko saw Sokka lying on the ground. Half dragging and half crawling, Zuko went to Sokka to see if he was okay. The warrior was still out. Anger brewed in him as he remembered why they where down here in the first place. Zuko swung his hand and it connected to Sokka's face.

"Augh," Sokka grumbled refusing to wake up.

"Wake up Jerkface," Zuko growled as he slapped Sokka again. This time Sokka woke up and blue eyes glared at Zuko.

"I can call you Jerkface," Sokka snarled as he tried to sit up. He made a hissing sound and his hand went to his chest. Zuko figured that the warrior had broken bones also.

"You lost that privilege after what you said about Katara," Zuko snarled back. Sokka glared at him as he tried to get up.

"I wasn't referring to Katara," Sokka said as he forced himself up. His back slammed into the wall which made him winced more. "I was referring to you."

"Last time I check," Zuko spat as he lean himself back to get a good look at Sokka. "It takes two to _dawdle_," Zuko made sure that his statement oozed with sarcasm.

Sokka's eyes burned with hate as he stared at the banished prince. Zuko did not care, he was still seething over the idea that Sokka believed that Katara and him are in that type of relationship. Zuko silently admitted that the idea do come to mind in his dreams. Seeing a rock nearby, Zuko crawled to the rock and gently lifted himself up and sat down. Sokka stared at him with confusion and humor.

"What's wrong with you?" Sokka said sounding like he did not care.

"Broken ankle," Zuko replied as he tried to control the pain. "I think it's shattered. Broken ribs also, thanks to you."

"Hey it could have been from the fall," Sokka said but Zuko could tell that the warrior enjoyed the idea of being responsible for the broken ribs.

"The fall cracked my ribs," Zuko said deadpan. "You broke them when you landed on me."

"That explains why I landed on something soft," Sokka mocked. Zuko snorted flames out of his nose but quickly stopped when the pain hit him. Sokka laughed but ended up wincing in pain.

"Anything broken?" Zuko asked making sure that he did not sounded like he cared.

"Broken ribs," Sokka said as he checked himself. He noticed that his right arm was hanging. "Dislocated shoulder," Sokka rammed his shoulder into the wall and a loud pop was heard. "Now just broken ribs," he said through clenched teeth.

The boys panted as they glared at each other. Through the flame that was created by Zuko, Sokka noticed that the prince looked very green. He became very concerned. He felt guilty on what he said to Zuko. Sokka felt himself smiled at the fact that Zuko defended his sister but still he did not like the idea of them being together. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Sokka looked around at the surroundings. The cavern collapse on itself and blocked the only way to get back to camp. There was a tunnel leading away from the boulders and Sokka could hear the wind howl.

"What are you thinking about?" Zuko whispered. Sokka barely heard him.

"There's a tunnel," Sokka said as he looked at the prince. "I can hear the wind, so there has to be an exit somewhere."

"One problem," Zuko said weakly. "I can't walk."

"You'll lean on me and provide the light," Sokka said. He walked over to Zuko and began lifting him up. Zuko put all his weight on his good foot and leaned into Sokka's left side. Sokka could feel pain exploding in him as he slowly walked towards the tunnel.

"I have a question," Sokka asked. Not hearing a response from Zuko, Sokka continued. "Are you a glutton for punishment? I mean you have died, burned your back, and now this. Are the spirits mad at you?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Zuko answered weakly.

* * *

Toph swept her feet across the ground. She could not feel anything. She tried to keep the panic down as she continued the sweeping motion. Toph figured that she could not feel anything because the cavern was so wide. That thought was an hour ago and now Toph began to sense the worse. Choking down a lump in her throat, Toph felt footsteps behind her.

"Any luck?" Suki asked hoarsely as she wiped her eyes.

"No," Toph said quietly. "I can't feel anything, probably because the cavern is wide."

"You're probably right," Suki said as she hung her head down. Toph quickly turned away. She hated feeling Suki so distraught.

Aang flew out of the cavern with his glider. He was trying to find any entrance to get to his friends. Sadly his results produced nothing. Landing on solid ground he looked at Suki and Toph and gave a sad smile. Suki broke down in tears. Aang walked up to the girl and began holding her. Aang knew that Suki was falling apart. The Kyoshi Warrior is using everything from her training to keep a strong front but with time she would break down and mourn for her love. For Aang that was unsettling.

"How's Katara?" Aang quietly asked as he stared at Toph. He could see that Toph was trying hard not to cry. Using his free hand, he wiped a tear from her eye.

"Not good," Toph said as she tried to keep her voice from wavering. "She's been sitting over there just shaking," Toph pointed at the log. Aang managed to look over Suki's shoulder and saw Katara sitting there rocking herself. "She might lose it Twinkle Toes."

Aang squeezed Toph's hand before leading Suki to the log that Katara is sitting on. He gently guided Suki to her spot and helped her sit down. Aang placed his hand on Katara's shoulder but she did not acknowledge it. Her skin was clammy. He did not know what to do if Katara did lose it. They where a few weeks away from the comet and now was not the time to start losing everyone. Toph's whoop interrupted his thoughts.

"I can feel something!" Toph shouted. Suki and Katara slowly lifted their heads up.

"Is it them?" Aang asked. Toph swept her feet and gave a big grin.

"It's them!" Toph said not caring that tears where pouring down. "It's faint but I know it's them."

"Are they moving?" Suki asked as hope began flooding her face. Toph gave a nod. "Where are they heading?" Aang could hear the excitement in Suki's voice.

"Heading that way," Toph said pointing behind her. "There's a tunnel. Don't know how long."

"We should load up Appa and follow the tunnel," Aang ordered. "We'll stay on the ground so Toph can feel the changes. Hopefully there's an exit close by."

Suki and Toph began moving around and began clearing camp. Aang pulled Katara to her feet and stared into her dull blue eyes. Aang could see no life in them.

"They're okay Katara," Aang said softly as he touched her cheek. "Please stay with us."

* * *

"Sokka," Zuko said hoarsely. "We need to rest."

Sokka agreed to Zuko's suggestion. He was tired of carrying Zuko's weight down the tunnel. He slowly lowered Zuko to the ground. He watched the firebender control his breathing but wincing every time he took a breath. It was not very comforting that the flame in the palm of the hand was getting weaker every second. Sokka knew that Zuko was going to pass out. Moving several feet away from Zuko, Sokka began checking the damage that the fall has done. He knew he had broken ribs but he did not know how many. He grunted as his hand touched something wet on his right side. Sokka could not tell what was on his hand because the flame was fading out. Placing his fingers on his lips, Sokka could taste something metallic. It was blood. He was bleeding. Sokka cursed.

"What did you say?" Zuko said as he tried to lift his head up.

"You're freaking heavy," Sokka lied. He let himself slid down the rocky wall and sat down.

"I'll remember to starve myself to save you from the hassle," Zuko snapped back, his voice slowly fading.

"So what now," Sokka said as he began to feel lightheaded.

"Rest," Zuko replied as his head droop down. "Then we have to figure out how to get out of here."

"I never thought I will be in another cave," Sokka said as he began to remember the Cave of Two Lovers. "At least the situation is better."

"How can it be better?" Zuko grunted as he fought the dizziness. The flame went out.

"Because I know you can't sing, play an instrument, and high on cactus juice," Sokka smirked in the darkness. "Actually being high on cactus juice right now sounds pretty good," he did not get a response from Zuko. Sokka figured that the boy passed out. Giving out a small sigh, Sokka closed his eyes and let the darkness take over him.

* * *

"Stop!" Toph yelled as she held up her hands. "They stopped moving."

"They must be injured," Suki said as her face showed worry. "They haven't walked very far."

"Can you bend them out, Toph?" Aang asked.

"No can do," Toph said sounding upset. "The ground is too weak. I'll be risking another cave in or killing them."

"Then we rest," Aang answered. He has become the leader since the fiasco started. "We will move when they move," Toph nodded in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Tried to post this before my birthday but that did not work. Sorry this chapter is long, it was longer but I had to cut out a lot of dialouge. Good news for the readers that are dying to know about Suki's problem. The first chapter is almost done! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own.**

* * *

It was becoming a repeated process. Sokka and Zuko would walk a couple of feet, rest, and then passed out. One of them will wake up, slapped the other across the face, and continued on down the tunnel. Zuko snarled as he felt Sokka's hand slapping him awake.

"You are enjoying that too much," Zuko growled as he rubbed his hand on the spot where Sokka slapped. His free hand created a small flame in his palm for light.

"Just getting even from last time," Sokka sneered. "I think you punched me."

"I did punch you," Zuko replied dryly. "You where having dreams about Suki," then Zuko's face became serious. "There is something wrong with you."

Sokka's face went red or something that looked like red. Zuko had been noticing that the warrior has been getting paler every time they walked. Even though Sokka did not voice it out, Zuko knew he was in pain.

"You don't have to listen," Sokka snapped.

"I meant there is something wrong with you physically," Zuko slowly explained. "You are getting weak," he heard Sokka sighed.

"I'm losing blood," Sokka said. "I think it's bad."

"Let me look," Zuko offered. "It's probably your imagination."

Sokka gave a nod and slowly raised his shirt to show Zuko the wound on his right side. Zuko adjusted himself to study the gash. He had to agree with Sokka, the wound is bad. As Zuko tried to get back in a sitting position, the broken ankle twisted in an odd angle and he gave a yell. Cold sweat was pouring down from his head as he placed his back on the rocky wall.

"We're doomed," Sokka said as he tossed a rock across the tunnel. It made a thud sound like it hit something. Sokka raised an eyebrow and squinted into the darkness. After a few minutes, Sokka pointed something across the tunnel. "Hey what's that?"

"I don't see anything," Zuko said as he squinted into the darkness.

"Then point your flaming hand in that direction!" Sokka yelled. Zuko moved his hand to the area that Sokka was pointing. Two bundles where lying directly in front of them.

"Their skeletons!" Zuko exclaimed. He began dragging his body to the bundles. Zuko quickly recognized the skeletons as old Fire Nation soldiers. He yanked on the fabric, it was still strong.

"What are you doing?" Sokka hissed as he pressed his body against the wall.

"The fabric is still strong," Zuko said as he began ripping the fabric. "We can use it to make bandages."

"Those are dead men clothes!" Sokka whispered. "That's bad juju."

"Bad juju?" Zuko repeated having no clue what Sokka was talking about.

He picked up an arm bone and checked its strength. It was still strong. Taking the second arm bone and some fabric, Zuko was able to make a splint for his ankle. He gave a sigh of relief as he was able to get up on his feet. Zuko still could not put his full weight on the ankle but the bone splint was giving him the much needed strength to keep his ankle from flopping around. Grabbing the rest of the fabric, he hopped towards Sokka.

"Wrap this around your body," Zuko ordered as he tossed half of the fabric to Sokka. "That should stop the bleeding and protect your ribs."

Sokka groaned about how disgusting it was to use dead man's clothes as bandages. Zuko hopped away from him and took off his shirt. He shredded the fabric into strips and began wrapping his chest. Zuko felt his ribs falling into place as he tightens the wraps. He took a deep breath; it felt so much better now that he can breathe without wincing. Putting his shirt back on, he turned and faced Sokka. The warrior looked like he put on weight with the bandages on.

"You know Jerkface," Sokka said as he stared at Zuko. "This is the most disgusting thing I ever did."

"They weren't going to use it," Zuko pointed out. Using the wall as support, Zuko hopped back to Sokka.

"You have a point," Sokka replied. "On the bright side, I don't have to carry your ass."

"Good old Sokka," Zuko joked. There was no smile on his face. "Always trying to find a silver lining."

"You're not going to tell that cloud story again," Sokka said as he wrinkled his nose. "That was a stupid story."

"Let's keep on moving," Zuko said as he tried to keep his anger down. "There should be an exit somewhere."

* * *

"Let's play a game," Sokka said after a few minutes of silence. Zuko mumbled at the suggestion. "Nothing stupid. I'll ask a question and you have to answer it," Zuko mumbled again. Sokka ignored the prince. "Why is your family so screwed up?"

"You know the answer to that!" Zuko yelled back.

"What I know is from experience," Sokka said. Zuko stopped hopping and stared at him. "I like to know the details."

"Well, you know that my great grandfather Sozin started the war," Zuko said as he pressed his back to the wall. "He believed that he was spreading prosperity."

"I already know that!" Sokka said looking annoyed. "I want to know something that no one else knows," Zuko narrowed his eyes at Sokka as he began to think.

"Okay," Zuko started. "My other great grandfather was Roku," Zuko smiled when he saw Sokka's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you're related to _Avatar Roku_?" Sokka said looking surprised. "That makes Aang your great grandfather!"

Zuko eyes widen at Sokka's statement. He never thought of it like that. Somehow, Zuko found this revelation a little disturbing. He slapped his hand to his forehead as Sokka began to laugh over it. The warrior's face screwed up in pain as his hand went to his chest.

"You okay?" Zuko asked sounding concern. Sokka raised his hand up to show that he was okay.

"I'm fine," Sokka replied. "I just laughed a little too hard. But come on, Aang is your great grandfather! Oh wait! What if Katara and Aang dated and got married? She would have been your great grandmother!" Sokka roared into laughter as Zuko frowned at him. He gave a small chuckle as Sokka winced from the pain. "Its official, your family is screwed up!"

"Okay my turn," Zuko said as he endured enough torture from Sokka. Sokka looked at him with questioning eyes. "Why does Suki want to kill you?"

"To be honest," Sokka said as his shoulders slump. "I don't know. She's been like this since we left the compound. I want to tell her how much I love her but she keeps throwing me into a tree or the ground."

"The lake was funny," Zuko reminded Sokka. He heard Sokka grumbled about that. About a week ago, the group camped at a lake. It was mostly for relaxation because nobody wanted to train. Sokka thought it would romantic to wrap his arms around Suki when she was staring at the lake. Instead, Suki took his arm and threw him into the water. Sokka skipped across the water like a rock before splashing. Toph gave his landing a three.

"Thanks for the reminder," Sokka grumbled. "I had seaweed in my nose!" he stopped and placed his back on the wall. "I'm going to marry that girl, even if it kills me."

Sokka's statement surprised Zuko. He knew that Sokka and Suki had a thing going on but he was not expecting Sokka going as far as proposing to her. Sokka slowly sat down on the ground and put his head in his hand. Zuko took Sokka's cue and sat down on the ground. The tunnel was quiet and Zuko knew he had to break the silence.

"To be honest," Zuko said trying to make Sokka happy. "I think she would say yes."

"Really?" Sokka said with a huge smile on his face.

"I just can't decide if she'll snap your neck before or after she says yes," Zuko smirked. Sokka frowned at him.

"Cute," Sokka muttered. "My turn. How did you and my sister get together?"

"Talk to Katara about that," Zuko replied as he drew shapes in the dirt. "I'm still figuring that out."

"All I know is that she has been sneaking into your room when we where at the Western Air Temple," Sokka pointed out. His voice showed a hint of anger.

"Sokka," Zuko said now feeling the anger brewing in him. "I swear, if you use the word _dawdle_ or any other word that implies sex. I will kill you right now," Sokka burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Man," Sokka said as he held his ribs. "You got it bad."

Zuko smiled at himself. Sokka was right, he did have it bad. Zuko knew that if Katara asked him to do anything, including dropping dead, he would do it without question. Unlike Mai, who used that knowledge ruthlessly, Katara have never taken advantage of it. A small part in Zuko's mind wondered if Katara actually have any idea of what kind of control she has on him. Just that small thought about Katara made Zuko's heart ache. How is she handling this? What about their friends? Are they looking for them?

"I wonder if they are looking for us," Zuko said out loud.

"I was thinking the same thing," Sokka admitted. "Suki has to be devastated."

The boys went silent. They let their thoughts fall on their friends. The gang is somewhere above them and they cannot get to them. Sokka huffed and threw a rock down the tunnel. Zuko felt the same way. Finding hand holds on the rocky wall, Zuko pulled himself to his feet. He adjusted his weight to his good foot and hopped down the tunnel with one hand pressed against the wall for balance and the other hand providing light.

"Where are you going?" Sokka said. Zuko heard a slap to the forehead. He figured that Sokka realized that his comment was stupid.

* * *

They had traveled farther than they expected. Zuko was slowing down and was now pressing his shoulder into the wall for balance. His hops are now becoming tiny skips. Sokka was trailing behind dragging his feet. Short ragged breaths where coming out of the warrior. They both knew that they have to stop and rest before they passed out but they pushed that thought behind them as they continued on. Zuko stopped and pressed his face into the wall as he tried to catch his breath. His good ankle gave out and with a grunt, Zuko tumbled to the ground. Sokka jogged up to him and helped him to sit up. Once Zuko was sitting up, Sokka inspected the ankle.

"Is it broken?" Zuko grunted as he watched Sokka slowly move his ankle left to right.

"Just twisted," Sokka said as he lowered the ankle to the ground. "We should take a break."

Sokka sat down next to Zuko and gave a huge sigh. Zuko agreed with Sokka's sigh, they were tired. They have not spoken to each other when they started to walk. Walking and talking would be considered an impossible task. During the walk, Zuko let his thoughts keep him company. He thought about Katara, what he was going to do when he gets out of this cavern, and the approaching battle. Then his thoughts went to Sokka and how they ended up in the cavern. Zuko knew that Sokka had no problem of letting Katara being alone with him when they where at the Western Air Temple. Since they left the compound, Sokka became the self appointed chaperone. Zuko corrected himself; chaperones let young couples be alone for a few minutes, Sokka was suffocating. Zuko returned to the question that Sokka answered inappropriately. Sokka was protecting his sister and now Zuko wanted to know why.

"We're still playing that question game, right?" Zuko said as he broke the silence. Sokka looked at him and shrugged.

"If you want," Sokka suggested. "I thought you hated the game."

"I have a question that you need to answer," Zuko said as he tried to face Sokka.

"What is it?" Sokka asked as he crossed his arms.

"Why are you so against Katara and I being together?" Zuko said slowly. Sokka was about to open his mouth but Zuko cut him off. "You cannot use me chasing you around the world, trying to kill you, betraying Katara, and any other previous actions when I was hunting Aang."

"I'm just protecting her," Sokka said as he continued his glare.

"Sokka," Zuko said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting a headache. "You know that I would die for her."

"Can't use that one champ," Sokka said as he punched Zuko's arm. "You already did that."

"Sokka," Zuko said through clenched teeth.

"Fine," Sokka said looking defeated. "When this war is over and you become Fire Lord, how do you know that you won't break Katara's heart?"

"I won't break her heart," Zuko said sounding surprised. Sokka had been thinking about this for a long time. "I love her."

"You say that now!" Sokka shouted. "But what happens if some Fire Nation girl comes by and flutters her eyelashes or better yet, what if Mai comes back to you!"

"There will not be another girl!" Zuko shouted back. He could feel his rage rising. "Don't worry about Mai, she and I are done! The only person I want to be with is Katara!"

"So you expect Katara to drop everything in her life to become the Fire Lady?" that statement shocked Zuko. It sounded like Sokka had listened to their conversation this morning.

"Katara and I talked about this," Zuko said as he controlled his anger. "Even if she is the Fire Lady, she would not give up her duties as a master waterbender and healer. She knows it will be a lot of work because her duties as the Fire Lady will be included but she is willing to do it."

Sokka stared at Zuko for a few minutes. It was becoming uncomfortable for Zuko. Sokka turned his head and face forward. Zuko had no clue what Sokka was thinking about. Finally the warrior spoke.

"What if Katara chooses not to be the Fire Lady?" Sokka asked as he turned his attention back to Zuko. Zuko did not answer the question but stared back at the warrior. Sokka's blue eyes went wide as he figured out the answer just by looking at him. "You are willing to give up your throne for her?" Sokka whispered. Zuko only nodded. "After everything we fought for, you are going to give that up for her?" Sokka repeated.

Zuko did not answer. Katara reacted the same way when he told her about it. She told him that he was crazy and stupid. She went on how she will not be held responsible for that decision. Zuko told her that it was not her responsibility for the decision, it was his. He told her that she was more important than the throne. Sokka did not call him stupid or crazy. He just sat there with his hand to his chin as he thought about Zuko's decision.

"When are you planning to ask Katara's hand?" Sokka asked. This time he did not look at Zuko.

"Katara wants to wait a year," Zuko replied. "She says there will be a lot of work to be done and also for us to grow," he heard Sokka snorted.

"You don't think that way," Sokka said as he began to smile.

"No I don't," Zuko said as he began to feel at ease.

"How does the Fire Nation," Sokka stopped talking. He was trying to find the words for his next question. Zuko quickly understood the question.

"It is common for the suitor to give his fiancée a comb that represents his love to her. I've already decided not to do that. I'm going to honor the Water Tribes' tradition by giving her a necklace," Zuko saw that Sokka was grinning like an idiot. Apparently he had said the right thing.

Sokka hate to admit it but the banished prince was worthy enough for his sister. That would be an interesting family reunion once the war is over. Sokka was thinking on how he will explain to his dad that his future son in law is going to be the next Fire Lord. Sokka smirked at the idea of his father dragging Zuko out to the frozen ice sheets for some "male bonding time". Sokka heard what sounded like someone was kicking a rock across the dirt. He quickly jumped to his feet and his hand instantly went to his side wincing in pain. Zuko had heard the exact same sound and the small flame in his hand became a large fireball.

"Who's there?" Sokka yelled as he tried to get into an attack position.

No one answered. Suddenly the tunnel became dark and Sokka tried not to panic. He tried to get his eyes adjusted to the dark quickly but something pricked his neck. Sokka's hand instantly went to his neck but he never found out what pricked him. Sokka crumbled to the floor with a hard thud.

* * *

"There's someone else down there!" Toph said as she moved her feet to the left and then to the right. "Four actually."

"Are they in trouble?" Suki asked sounding scared.

"No, they are being carried," Toph said as she made frown.

"There's has to be a village nearby," Aang said. He opened his glider and took off. He quickly returned with some news. "I saw one in that direction," Aang pointed where he came from. "It's a long walk. We should be there after sundown."

"How are we going to rescue them?" Suki asked as she held the motionless Katara.

"Toph and I will go into the village at night to find where they are holding them," Aang answered. "Depending on the situation, we will rescue them."

"What type of situation, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked sounding a little confused.

"If they are in a jail, we'll break them out tonight," Aang replied. "If they are in an infirmary, we'll get them out at sun rise," Toph and Suki stared at Aang with disbelief. Katara did not seem to hear the plan. "They are injured," Aang reasoned. "I want them to have some form of help. We don't even know how long Katara is going to be like that!" Aang pointed out.

"Okay," Toph said with a pout. "I'll go with that," Suki agreed with Toph.

"Then let's go," Aang said and headed towards the village.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own.**

* * *

Zuko was drugged. As soon as he opened his eyes, everything was disoriented. Swirling objects danced around him as he the felt intense heat on his twisted ankle. He tried to kick away but his feet won't move and his hands where not moving either. Zuko panicked and he tried to buck out of his restraints, which made his chest explode in pain. He could feel tears running down his cheeks.

"Hold him still," an inpatient voice said from one of the dancing swirls. "I'm almost done with this ankle."

"We're trying," another voice piped up. "He's too strong!"

"He looks like the dead prince!" another voice said as Zuko felt soft but strong hands holding him down.

"Not really," the inpatient voice said. "The prince was very handsome," the intense heat on his ankle went away. "That should take care of the sprain. The broken ankle is another story."

Zuko tried to register on what's going on. He could hear people walking but he still could not focus on his surroundings. He wanted to speak but nothing was coming out of his mouth. He was starting to convince himself that Sokka and him where captured. The voices started to talk again.

"I have to break the ankle again before setting it," it was the impatient voice again. "Here, put this in his mouth and make sure he doesn't swallow his tongue."

The order made Zuko's blood froze. He struggled again in his restraints as an object was placed in his mouth. Two strong hands held his head down while the other set of hands held his chest down. A muffled yell was heard when the hands pressed on his chest.

"He has broken ribs," the voice said as the hands where removed.

"Hold him down anyways," the impatient voice spoke again. "The ankle has to be set."

The hands returned on the chest and Zuko yelled again. He could feel the sweat forming all over his body. He felt the final two hands wrapped around his foot. He could feel his heart pounding in his head. Zuko stared at the ceiling or what he thought was the ceiling and prayed to the spirits. The foot snapped and a loud crack was heard. A scream escaped from his mouth and then everything went black.

* * *

Zuko slowly opened his eyes and was met with a blinding light. He tried to move his hand to cover his eyes but his hand was not moving. Quickly adjusting to the light, Zuko looked down and saw that his hands and feet where tied down. Taking slow and even breaths, Zuko studied his surroundings. Everything in the room was white. He blinked again and noticed that there was a blind spot on the scarred side of his face. He sighed, his eye was wrapped again.

"Ah, you're up," a voice said. Zuko looked up and stared at a middle aged woman. "Calmer too, that's good. You put up a fight last night," she walked up to him and unfastens his restraints.

"Where am I?" Zuko asked. His voice cracked from the dryness of his throat. The woman handed him a glass of water. Zuko greedily drank the water. "What happened to my eye?" his voice returned to normal.

"A medical clinic," the woman said as she took the glass away. "My name is Una," She began checking his bandaged ankle. "The sprain healed well. The broken ankle is another story," she pointed to the other ankle. Zuko looked where she pointed; his foot was wrapped up in a cast. "That should take several weeks to heal. To answer your question, your scar reopened and became infected."

"How did we get here?" Zuko asked as he placed his head back on the pillow. Una checked the bandages on his chest.

"My nurses go to the cave nearby to find some herbs for medicine," Una replied as she finished inspecting his chest. "They bring rhinobear tranquilizers with them because those animals run rampant near here. You must have surprised them."

"They surprised us," Zuko replied dryly. Una moved up to the bandage around his eye. She removed the bandage and gave his scar a quick check before rewrapping. "My friend," Zuko continued. "Where is he?"

"Next door," Una replied. "He went to surgery as soon as he got here. Keep your eye bandaged for the next couple of days."

"Is he okay?" Zuko asked becoming quite concerned. Katara will never forgive him if her brother dies.

"He's fine," Una sad as she picked up a clipboard at the end of the bed. She scribbled something on it. "He's very lucky. The wound was very serious. If it wasn't wrapped up, he could have bleed to death. Out of curiosity, where did you find the fabric and bones?"

"We found skeletons of soldiers," Zuko said as he sighed in relief. Sokka was alright.

"Resourceful," Una said with a nod. "The hidden caverns are dangerous if you don't know the terrain. Travelers get lost every year and majority of the time the bodies aren't even found."

"Can I see him?" Zuko asked. He was getting restless by lying in the bed. They needed to get out.

"Sure," Una said as she handed him a cane. "You can put your weight on your ankle now. Just remember to keep the cast propped up," Una headed out of the room but stopped at the door. "By the way, what is your name and your friend's?"

"My name is Lee," Zuko said as he took the cane and slowly got up. He grabbed a white robe that was hanging on the chair and put it on. "My friend's name is Lu," Zuko prayed that Sokka won't kill him on the name selection.

* * *

Zuko stared at Sokka. The warrior was asleep and snoring really loud. Sokka's chest was covered in bandages and judging from the pile of the bloody wrappings nearby, they had been changed recently. Zuko used the cane to poke Sokka's left side. The boy woke up with a start.

"Who's there?" Sokka said weakly. His eyes darted back and forth. Sokka's eyes fell on Zuko and tried to open his mouth but Zuko quickly cut him off.

"It's me Lu," Zuko said. He did not want Sokka to blow their cover.

"Lu?" Sokka said as he rubbed his head in confusion.

"No I'm Lee," Zuko said as he sat down in a chair. He pointed at Sokka. "You're Lu."

"Lee," Sokka said slowly. Zuko literally saw that gears in Sokka's head moving. "Lee! Where are we?"

"In a clinic," Zuko said as he tried to get comfortable in the chair. He propped his cast up on Sokka's bed. "You looked like hell," Sokka's hair was a mess and the warrior looked a little pale.

"You're no better," Sokka pointed out. "You look like the walking dead. Oh wait, you are."

"Very mature," Zuko said as he pokes Sokka's side again. Sokka growled as he rubbed his left side. "I see that the sarcasm is very healthy."

Sokka was about to make a retort but was interrupted by two young girls walking into the room with trays in their hands. Zuko's belly growled when he smelled the food coming from the trays. He realized that his last meal was dinner two nights ago. Sokka looked like an eager boy on New Year's Day.

"Good morning," one of the girls said in a sing song voice. "Una said you both will be in here so we brought breakfast," Zuko swore the girls heard his stomach growled.

"Yeah food!" Sokka cheered as he sat straight up in the bed. His face scrunched up in pain as he grabbed his right side. Zuko chuckled.

One girl placed the tray on Sokka's table next to the bed. The other girl grabbed another table and pulled it up to Zuko. The food smelled heavenly and Zuko could not wait to enjoy it. Sokka already began stuffing his face.

"Thank you," Zuko said to the girls. They began to giggle. Sokka stopped eating and looked at Zuko with a weird look.

"You're welcome," one girl said. "We'll come back later to collect your trays," they turned away and exited the room. Sokka let out a low whistle.

"Where they ogling at us?" Zuko said as he looked at Sokka.

"I was thinking the same thing," Sokka said as he pushed his plate away from him. "We need to get out of here."

"I know," Zuko said as he nibbled at his food. "But where do we go? We don't even know if our friends are following us still?"

"We can't go far either," Sokka said as he looked at his bandages.

The boys ate and sat in silence. They could not figure out a plan to escape and return to their friends. They ignored the girls as they returned to the room and collected the trays. One girl attempted to flirt with Zuko but he just gave a bored look and the girl quickly walked away.

"Wow," Sokka said after he watched the scene. "You sure have a way with the ladies."

"I'm not interested in the girls," Zuko said with a growl. "We need to get out of here!"

"Still not sure why my sister is attracted to you," Sokka said as he placed his hands behind his head. "It's definitely not your sparkling personality."

Zuko glared at Sokka and tried to think of something to say. When nothing came to his mind, Zuko grabbed his cane and poked Sokka in the left side again. The warrior yelped in pain. Una walked into the room with a look of concern on her face.

"Are you two up for a visitor?" Una said as she tried to smile. Sokka and Zuko looked at each other and gulped.

"Yeah," Sokka said as he tried to get comfortable. "Who is it?"

"Someone that is claiming to be your sister," Una said as she pointed to Zuko. Zuko knew his face went white. Azula somehow figured out that he was alive and she was going to kill them. Una turned and walked out of the room. She returned shortly and she was holding someone's hand.

"Brother?" a voice said. It was sweet and yet it was mocking him. "Is that you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own!**

* * *

Zuko released a breath that he was holding when he saw Toph slowly walking in. Una was holding her hand as Toph used a stick to tap around her surroundings. For the first time since knowing her, Zuko actually believed that she was blind. Una continued to guide Toph to Zuko as she kept looking around. When Toph got close to Zuko, she gave a sinister smile and placed her hands on his face. Her hands roamed all over his face and gave his nose a hard pinch. He winced in pain. Her hand stopped on his bandaged eye and gave the most pathetic look.

"Brother?" Toph said making sure her voice sounded small. "It's me Toph," she turned her head to the opposite direction but made her question directed to Una. "What's wrong with him?"

_Yeah, she deserves an award,_ Zuko thought as he watched Toph continued with the poor blind girl antics. He can play this game.

"Sister!" Zuko said with a huge smile as he pulled Toph in for a big hug. Toph made a grunt as he squeezed her tight. "I'm so happy to see you! How do you know I was here?"

"I better leave you alone," Una said before Toph could open her mouth. "I have to check on the patient," Toph stiffen at the comment. Una gave Toph another sad look before she exited the room.

"Finally!" Toph said when Una left the room. She pushed Zuko away and jumped on Sokka's bed narrowing missing Zuko's cast. Zuko held back a gasp. "I don't know how long I had to put that up," she dropped her stick onto the ground. "You didn't have to squeeze me too hard Sparky and you can put your jaw up Snoozles," Toph launch herself into Sokka's arms giving him a huge hug.

"You didn't have to play the 'oh poor me, I'm blind' card," Zuko said as he lowered his cast to the floor. Toph was making him nervous as she moved around on the bed.

"Great acting," Sokka said after he found his voice. "I can't believe I'm going to say this but I prefer the grumpy Jerkface."

"You're telling me," Zuko said as he placed his head in his hand. "How did you guys find us?"

"Aang and I checked out the village last night," Toph said as she looked over Zuko's head. "We overheard some nurses talking about two men that they found in the caverns," Sokka cheered that they where called men. Toph ignored Sokka's cheer. "We figured it was you two. So the girls and I came to the clinic with a medical emergency."

"I don't think Aang would like being called a girl," Sokka said as he gave Toph a disapproving look. Toph pointed at her eyes and gave Sokka a dirty look.

"Aang is back in the woods watching the animals," Toph said as she gave a chuckle. "Good one Snoozles. I'll have to use that next time."

"So what's the medical emergency that you're faking?" Sokka said as he tried to get back to the topic. Toph went silent at the question. Sokka and Zuko exchanged looks.

"Toph," Zuko said feeling the sense of dread coming over him. Sokka began clutching his bed sheet. "What's the medical emergency?" Toph gave a sad sigh.

"She felled apart when you guys fell into the cavern," Toph started slowly. "During the day, she kept getting worse and worse," she took a deep breath, holding back the tears that where forming. "We had to get help. There was nothing we could do."

"Who, Toph?" Sokka said looking absolutely horrified. Zuko felt sorry for the warrior. For Sokka it was a double edge sword. "Who's here?"

"Katara," Toph said in a quiet voice. This time the tears did run. "Katara is here."

* * *

Zuko hobbled out of the room fast as he can with Sokka yelling about finding a robe behind him. His cast dragged across the floor and he did not even stop when his cast smacked against the wall. Zuko had to find Katara. He had to see if she was alright. Zuko prayed to the spirits that Toph was playing some sort of sick joke. He entered the room and suddenly stopped. Suki was pressing her back against the wall as she watched Una hovering over a pale girl that was lying in the bed. Zuko could not believe that the girl was Katara.

"Lee!" Una said when she looked up. Sadness spread across her face. "I take it that your sister told you and Lu."

"What's wrong?" Zuko said his voice barely above a whisper. Suki walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"Shock," Una said as she scribbled something in the clipboard. "I never seen it set in so fast. She should be okay," her attention now turned to Suki. "How did this happen?"

"While traveling to the capitol, we received news that Lee and Lu died in the war," Suki said as she tried to keep her voice strong as she recited the lie. "Lu is her brother and Lee is her betrothed," Zuko choked on his spit.

"Poor thing," Una said with compassion. "I can see the resemblance between the two. How are you related to the patient?" the question took Suki by surprised.

"She is Lu's betrothed," Zuko said cutting Suki off. He figured if he was supposedly getting married then Suki would be too. He could feel Suki's glare. "Also good friend to my sister," he hastily added.

"Thank the spirits that everyone ended up here," Una said as she placed the clipboard at the end of the bed. Sokka and Toph entered the room. Sokka looked absolutely distraught. "Your sister will be okay," Una whispered as she exited out the room.

Sokka took the chair that was next to the bed. He gently took Katara's hand and began to hold it. Suki walked up behind Sokka and wrapped her arms around him. Sokka leaned into the comfort of the hug. It was the first time since the compound that Suki came close to Sokka without hurting him. Toph gently pulled herself up at the end of the bed and stared at her toes. Zuko found another chair and dragged it close to the bed. His finger gently caressed Katara's cheek as he kissed her forehead. She leaned towards the touch and murmured something. Zuko took it as a good sign.

"You better wake up," Zuko whispered his mock threat. "Sokka will have my head on a stick if something happens to you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own.**

* * *

"So what happened in the cavern?" Aang asked as he swirled his soup with a spoon.

Sokka and Zuko exchanged looks. It has been two weeks since they left the clinic. They have not told anyone about their experiences. Suki and Toph never asked because the boys where focused on Katara's health. The girls knew something happened because Sokka and Zuko were civil to each other. They were practically acting like brothers. Curiosity was bugging them, including Aang, and they wanted to know what happened. Toph suggested that they should ask their questions during dinner because she needed some entertainment. Plus they can add their own fun to it.

"Nothing happened," Zuko said as he adjusted his cast. He hated the blasted thing.

"Something happened," Suki said as she pointed her spoon at them. "You two were civil at the clinic."

"Katara was ill," Sokka replied as he scooted closer to Suki. She stood up, walked towards Katara and sat down. Sokka sighed.

"Suki is right," Katara said softly. She was still weak from the shock. "I could hear you two whispering during the night."

"Nothing happened," Zuko repeated slowly as he wrapped his arm around Katara. "What did you hear?" his voice was low enough for her to hear. Katara chuckled lightly.

"Sparky and Snoozles had a moment!" Toph exclaimed as a huge smiled spread across her face. Sokka and Zuko began talking at once but Toph quieted them. "No lying," she said in a sing song voice.

"We did not have a moment," Sokka said as he glared at Toph. Toph pointed to her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "We came to an understanding," Zuko nodded.

"Sounds like a moment to me," Aang said and gave his soup a sip.

"Absolutely," Katara replied.

"Definitely," Suki agreed.

"Yep," Toph only said.

"There was no moment!" Zuko explained. "All we did was walked and passed out."

"Well I did carry you," Sokka pointed out.

"How did you carry him?" Suki said. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. Zuko groaned. He did not like how this was going.

"He leaned into me and I propped him up," Sokka said matter of fact. "How else do you carry someone?"

"I know a couple of ways," Aang said sounding too casual. Zuko smelled a trap and he had to get Sokka to shut-up.

"Sokka," Zuko warned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh!" Sokka continued not noticing Zuko's warning. "We played that game you hated."

The group went silent except for Zuko, who let out an exaggerated groan. He was starting to wish that he stayed dead. Sokka's talking was becoming his own personal hell. Soon giggles where erupting. First it was Katara, giggling softly; then it was Suki, holding her sides with laughter; Aang came next, as he cackled; and finally Toph, who gave a full out bellow.

_Yep, I should have stayed dead,_ Zuko thought as he watched his friends roar with laughter. He could feel his face getting pink.

"What kind of game?" Aang asked as he wiped his eyes.

"Let me take a guess," Toph said between breaths. "Truth or Dare!" the group laughed even harder. Zuko looked at Sokka. The warrior's face was red and he knew his was red also.

"We did not play Truth or Dare!" Sokka stuttered. He was too angry to talk. "What do you think we where at? A slumber party?" more laughter erupted.

"Smooth," Zuko growled as he glared at Sokka.

"We played a more enlighten game," Sokka continued. "It was a question game," the group was calming down and stared at Sokka with interest. Zuko was interested because he wanted to know what Sokka would say.

"Like what?" Suki said trying to sound confident. "We all know each other secrets," the rest nodded.

"Really?" Sokka said in an excited voice. "So you know that Aang is Zuko's great grandfather?" and began telling them that Avatar Roku was Zuko's other great grandfather.

The group went silent. Zuko had to give Sokka some credit; he had managed to turn the tables on their friends' entertainment. Aang's reaction was priceless. Zuko figured that it was the same look he gave when thought about that revelation.

"That's just creepy," Aang said sounding disgusted. Suki shrieked with laughter.

"Toph!" Suki shouted. "If you married Aang, then Zuko would be your great grandson!" she burst out in laughter.

"I'm too young to have a great grandson," Toph frown as she crossed her arms.

"That's just weird," Zuko said sounding appalled. He was more disturbed by that thought than Sokka's suggestion in the cavern.

Sokka and Suki where laughing over the revelation while Aang and Toph grumbled over it. Zuko gave a slight chuckle at the scene. Katara slowly stood up and gave a yawn.

"I need to do another healing session on your ankle before I go to sleep," Katara said to Zuko as she walked away. "Sokka? Can you clean up?"

Sokka gave a nod and returned taunting to the remaining group members. Zuko slowly got to his feet and hobbled towards Katara. She was waiting for him at his bedroll with water skins ready. Katara helped him sit down and pulled some water out of the skins. Her hands glowed blue as she placed them on his cast. Zuko knew Katara cannot mend broken bones but it did relieve some of the pain. The healing session brought back some memories.

"The last time you did this, I was setting things on fire," Zuko said wincing at his feeble attempt of a joke.

"I was thinking the same thing," Katara said as she concentrated on his ankle. Sweat was forming on her forehead. Once she was done, she pulled the water away and gave a sigh of relief. "How's that?" she asked.

"Better," Zuko smiled. He saw her face clouded with worry. "What's wrong?"

"What did you and Sokka talked about?" Katara asked as she looked at her hands.

"I told him what we talked about," Zuko answered as he pulled her chin up so she can look into his eyes. "I told him of my intentions."

"And he's okay with it?" Katara asked as her eyes filled with hope.

"He's fine with it," Zuko said as he smiled at her. Her face lit up when she smiled.

"You know what that means," Katara said as she kissed Zuko's forehead. He gave her a questioning look. "You and Sokka had a moment," Katara chuckled as Zuko cursed the spirits.


End file.
